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Impaired Lymphocyte Stimulation by Mitogens in Severely Depressed Patients

A Complex Interface with HPA-axis Hyperfunction, Noradrenergic Activity and the Ageing Process

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Michaël Maes ,
Eugéne Bosmans ,
Eduard Suy ,
Bob Minner  and
Jef Raus
Michaël Maes*
Affiliation:
St Jozef Psychiatric Centre, Munsterbilzen
Eugéne Bosmans
Affiliation:
Dr Willems Institute, University of Diepenbeek, Belgium
Eduard Suy
Affiliation:
St Jozef Psychiatric Centre, Munsterbilzen
Bob Minner
Affiliation:
St Jozef Psychiatric Centre, Munsterbilzen
Jef Raus
Affiliation:
Dr Willems Institute, University of Diepenbeek, Belgium
*
∗St Jozef Psychiatric Centre, Abdijstraat 2, 3751 Munsterbilzen, Belgium
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Abstract

To investigate the relationships between the immune apparatus, major depression, and HPA-axis and noradrenergic activity, the authors measured the lymphocyte stimulation responses to the mitogens phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed mitogen (PWM) and concanavalin A (CON A), post-dexamethasone Cortisol (DST) values and 3-methoxy-4-hydroxyphenylglycol (MHPG) excretion in 24-hour urine samples from 48 patients. We found that lymphocyte responses to PHA and PWM in melancholic and psychotic depressives were significantly lower than in minor depressives. The lymphocyte responses to PHA, PWM and CON A showed significantly negative correlations with age, DST results and HRSD score. Responses to PHA were significantly negatively correlated with MHPG excretion. Up to ±33% of the variance in the three mitogenic lymphocyte responses could be explained by canonical correlation with age, DST results and MHPG values.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 155 , Issue 6 , December 1989 , pp. 793 - 798
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1989 

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